Celebrate 20 Years of Bike Commuting During Bike Month in May

Bike Commuter of the Year Nominations Open March 18; Bike to Work Day
Is May 8

March 17, 2014 07:41 PM Eastern Daylight Time

OAKLAND, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Join the growing number of commuters who are leaving their car at home
and riding a bicycle to work. The region’s annual Bike to Work Day
celebrates its 20th anniversary on Thursday, May 8, 2014,
when thousands of new and seasoned riders will commute using pedal
power. Complete event information is available at youcanbikethere.com.

While some local organizations have held Bike to Work Day events for
over 20 years, the regional event — presented by the Metropolitan
Transportation Commission (MTC), 511 and Kaiser Permanente — is
celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. MTC began
sponsoring Bike to Work Day 20 years ago to grow the event into a
regionwide effort. MTC now works with the Bay Area Bicycle Coalition
(BABC) to organize the annual program with the goal of promoting
bicycling as a viable mode of daily transportation. With the majority of
automobile trips being less than two miles long — and with the growing
amount of congestion in the Bay Area — many of these trips can be made
by bicycle.

“Your commute can be your gym,” said MTC Chair and Orinda Council member
Amy Rein Worth. “Not only can you get your daily exercise in, but you
can help improve air quality in your community and reduce traffic
congestion throughout the region.”

Bike to Work Day is the region’s premier event to encourage commuters in
the nine Bay Area counties to try bike commuting for the first time, or
to recommit to increasing time spent cycling. On May 8, volunteers will
staff over 300 Energizer Stations to cheer on bike commuters and offer
complimentary snacks and other giveaways, official reusable Bike to Work
Day canvas bags and bicycling information. Visit youcanbikethere.com/user/register
to find out how easy it can be to commute by bicycle, pledge to ride
your bike on Bike to Work Day and register to win prizes.

Held during National Bike Month, Bike to Work Day happens in conjunction
with other activities that encourage Bay Area residents to commute by
bike, including the month-long Team Bike Challenge, the Bike Commuter of
the Year Awards and dozens of local bicycling events held throughout the
region during the month of May.

Bike Commuter of the Year Awards

Nominations for Bike Commuter of the Year open Tuesday, March 18. One
bike commuter from each of the nine Bay Area counties will be selected
in an effort to recognize their dedication to riding a bicycle for
everyday transportation. The awards program began in 2008. Last year’s
winners included young, old, rural, suburban and urban bike commuters
who inspire bicycling in their community by example.

The month-long Team Bike Challenge and Company Bike Challenge
competitions were incorporated into the program in 2006 and 2008,
respectively. Since then, individuals, teams and various companies have
competed for top honors and much-coveted bragging rights. Last year,
nearly 3,500 riders competed in the Team & Company Bike Challenges,
forming over 1,000 teams and including over 350 companies. Apple Inc.
took the top spot in the Company Bike Challenge, followed by Tesla
Motors in second and Caltrans District 4 in third place. A total of 1.1
million miles were biked during the Challenge in May 2013, far outriding
2012’s total distance of 701,710 miles, resulting in an estimated
savings of 568 tons of CO2 and burning over 69 million total
calories. The competition starts May 1 and runs through May 31. To
register, visit teambikechallenge.com.

The 2014 Bike to Work program is presented by MTC, 511 and Kaiser
Permanente. Additional support is provided by the Bay Area Air Quality
Management District (BAAQMD), the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system,
Beyond Pix, Clear Channel, Typekit, Adobe, Canary Challenge, Revolights,
REI, Clif Bar and the Bay Area Bicycle Coalition. The event is made
possible through the cooperation of hundreds of volunteers, MTC, county
congestion management agencies, local jurisdictions, local bicycling
coalitions and BABC.

MTC is the transportation planning, financing and coordinating agency
for the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area. For regional bicycling
information, visit bicycling.511.org.

Contacts

BABCMai Le, 415-787-2893orMTCLeslie
Lara, 510-817-5813

Release Summary

The Bay Area's annual Bike to Work Day celebrates its 20th anniversary on Thursday, May 8, when thousands of new and seasoned riders will commute using pedal power.